Chapter 256

Chapter 256

As the truth crystallized, guilt crashed over Charles like a tidal wave.

His chest felt impossibly tight.

He turned to look at Emily, still peacefully asleep beside him, his eyes filled with a mix of remorse and tenderness.

This was his failure. She should have been living a quiet, stable life—not navigating these hidden dangers and calculated schemes.

He closed his eyes. When he opened them again, only cold resolve remained.
Emily couldn't know about this. She was already exhausted—he wouldn't burden her further with these toxic family vendettas.

All the trouble, all the danger—he would shoulder it alone. He would handle Delbert himself. No one would lay a finger on her.

"Understood," Charles said, his voice glacial as he suppressed the roiling emotions beneath. "Keep eyes on him. I want everything—every move he makes domestically, every connection, every backer. Leave nothing unchecked. I suspect he's planning something far more reckless."

"Will do. Stay safe," Gregory replied, adding a few more cautionary words before hanging up.

Charles stood on the balcony, watching the pale dawn light bleed across the horizon, his presence radiating cold menace.

He'd assumed this was a run-of-the-mill business rival or an outside vendetta. Never had he imagined it was a skeleton from his family's closet.

The past had finally come calling.

He'd barely turned to go back inside when his phone buzzed again. It was Mike this time, and when Charles answered, the man's tone carried an unusual edge of panic.

"Mr. Howard, good morning. Is now a good time?"

Mike rarely called this early. His tone alone signaled this wasn't a courtesy check-in.

Charles's stomach dropped. He strode to the far corner of the balcony, voice low. "Talk! What happened?"

Mike inhaled deeply on the other end. "Sir, I've noticed some irregularities at the company. Well—not exactly problems. Over the past two weeks, someone's been quietly buying up scattered shares of Howard Group stock. Very discreetly. Small amounts at a time. If I hadn't been monitoring the equity ledger closely, I'd never have caught it."

Mike paused. Under normal circumstances, Howard family shares changed hands occasionally—nothing noteworthy. But Charles had recently ordered him to flag any anomalies, however minor.

And once you started looking, patterns emerged.

"There's more. Two senior executives—one from Core Tech, one from Marketing—have been meeting frequently with unknown parties. Word is they're considering resignations. I've had them tailed. The offers they're fielding are astronomical. Worse still, one of our key supply chains in Aetheria and a longstanding overseas distributor both sent termination notices yesterday. Effective immediately. No explanation given."

Charles's eyes turned to ice, a palpable chill settling over him.

So it begins. Delbert was finally making his move.

When he struck, he struck decisively—buying up shares, poaching executives, severing supply chains. Every blow landed squarely on Howard Group's pressure points. and all of it was executed with surgical precision. If Mike's instincts hadn't been razor-sharp, they wouldn't have noticed until it was too late.

Ruthless and calculated. Whoever orchestrated this knew Howard Group's internal operations and overseas networks inside and out. Gregory had been right—Delbert had been planning this for far longer than anyone realized.

"Noted." Charles's voice turned to iron, betraying no hint of alarm. Years at the helm had honed his composure to a blade's edge. "Keep this under wraps. No leaks. I don't want internal panic. Immediately begin reacquiring any outstanding shares—don't let him consolidate more equity. As for the executives, feel them out. If they can be retained, retain them. If they're set on leaving, invoke non-compete clauses immediately and confiscate all proprietary materials. Nothing leaves with them. The overseas supply chain and distributor issues—I'll handle those personally. You stabilize domestic operations. Monitor every department. Any irregularities, report to me at once."

"Yes, Mr. Howard!"

Mike's relief was audible. With Charles's directive in hand, his confidence returned.

Charles ended the call and looked back toward the bed. Emily remained deeply asleep, her face finally free of the exhaustion that had shadowed it recently.

The guilt intensified. He moved soundlessly back to the bed and carefully pulled her into his arms.

Emily mumbled something incoherent and burrowed into his chest, drifting deeper into sleep.

Charles pressed a feather-light kiss to her forehead, his voice a low murmur. "I'm here. No one will hurt you."

If Delbert thought he could destabilize Howard Group—thought he could use Emily as leverage—he was delusional.

Whether for the Howard legacy or for the woman in his arms, Charles would ensure Delbert's scheme died in its cradle.

 

When Emily woke, Charles had already buried every turbulent emotion behind an unreadable mask.

Noticing the faint shadows beneath his eyes, she assumed he'd been burning the midnight oil on company matters.

"Don't overwork yourself," she said softly, her fingertips brushing his jaw. "The family's helping with the wedding. You don't have to micromanage everything."

Her touch was warm, dissolving the tension in his chest—and deepening his guilt.

He caught her hand, pressing a kiss to her knuckles. His gaze was tender, but his tone remained casual. "I'm fine. Just didn't sleep well last night. I'll wrap up what I can today and come home early."

He'd made his decision: Emily would know nothing about Delbert's true identity or the siege the Howard Group currently faced.

His role was simple—play dumb. Pretend total ignorance. Let Delbert believe he held all the cards.

Overconfidence bred carelessness. And carelessness bred mistakes.

Delbert and his grandfather had been plotting abroad for years, driven by impatience and vengeance. The faster Delbert moved, the more cracks would appear.

Each day, Mike delivered updates on the latest developments. Each time, Charles issued the same calm directive: proceed as planned. No preemptive strikes. No tipping their hand. Let Delbert maneuver in the shadows.

To outsiders, Howard Group remained an industry titan operating seamlessly, showing no signs of duress.